May

Plants

Lift and divide primroses

Wild primrose (Primula vulgaris) can be divided this month after flowering has finished. This is a simple way of thinning out overcrowded clumps and increasing the number of plants available.

Ease the clumps gently out of the ground with a hand fork, taking care not to tear the roots. Select pieces with a few roots attached and pull apart by hand. Pot them up into moist potting compost and place the pots in a shady corner of the garden. Keep moist through the summer and plant out into their permanent positions in early autumn.